Prayut Chan-o-cha

Prayut Chan-o-cha (21 March 1954-) was Prime Minister of Thailand from 24 August 2014, succeeding Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan. As commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, he overthrew Yingluck Shinawatra's government in a 2014 military coup, and he later entered into civilian politics as the leader of the Palang Pracharath Party.

Biography
Prayut Chan-o-cha was born in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand in 1954. He joined the Royal Thai Army in 1972 and rose in the ranks of the army from serving as commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in 2003 to serving as army chief of staff from 2008 to 2009 and commander-in-chief in 2010. After the 2006 coup, he was appointed to the National Legislative Assembly, and he also sat on the executive boards of numerous companies. Following another political crisis in 2014, he led a coup against Yingluck Shinawatra's government, repealing the 2007 constitution and presiding over a military dictatorship. He granted himself sweeping powers and amnestied himself for his role in the coup, and, in August 2014, he undemocratically appointed a military-dominated legislature which appointed him as Prime Minister. In the 2019 election, his Palang Pracharath Party won the popular vote but fell behind the Pheu Thai Party in seat count.